Combination of searches for the Higgs boson using the full CDF data set

TL;DR

This paper combines all Higgs boson searches from the full CDF dataset, setting exclusion limits and observing a slight excess near 125 GeV, with interpretations in various theoretical models.

Contribution

It provides the most comprehensive combination of CDF Higgs searches, extending mass coverage and including new interpretations beyond the standard model.

Findings

Excluded Higgs mass regions at 95% credibility level

Observed a 2.0 sigma excess at 125 GeV

Constraints on couplings of a new particle at 125 GeV

Abstract

We present a combination of searches for the standard model Higgs boson using the full CDF Run II data set, which corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 9.45--10.0 fb$^{-1}$ collected from $\sqrt{s}=1.96$ TeV $p{\bar{p}}$ collisions at the Fermilab Tevatron. The searches consider Higgs boson production from gluon-gluon fusion, vector-boson fusion, and associated production with either a $W$ or $Z$ boson or a $t{\bar{t}}$ pair. Depending on the production mode, Higgs boson decays to $W^+W^-$, $ZZ$, $b{\bar{b}}$, $\tau^+\tau^-$, and $\gamma\gamma$ are examined. We search for a Higgs boson with masses ($m_H$) in the range 90--200 GeV/$c^2$. In the absence of a signal, we expect based on combined search sensitivity to exclude at the 95% credibility level the mass regions $90<m_H<94$ GeV/$c^2$, $96<m_H<106$ GeV/$c^2$, and $153<m_H<175$ GeV/$c^2$. The observed exclusion regions are $90<m_H<102$ GeV/$c^2$ and $149<m_H<172$ GeV/$c^2$. A moderate excess of signal-like events relative to the background expectation at the level of 2.0 standard deviations is present in the data for the $m_H=125$ GeV/$c^2$ search hypothesis. We also present interpretations of the data within the context of a fermiophobic model and an alternative standard model incorporating a fourth generation of fermions. Finally, for the hypothesis of a new particle with mass 125 GeV/$c^2$, we constrain the coupling strengths of the new particle to $W^\pm$ bosons, $Z$ bosons, and fermions.